Windows Subsystem for Linux

Install WSL 2

• Update Windows 10 to 1903 or 1909
• Open an administrator command prompt and install WSL: > dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
• Update to WSL 2: > dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
• Download and install the Linux kernel update package
• Set WSL 2 as the default: > wsl --set-default-version 2

Install Fedora

Download Rootfs

• Got to Fedora Container Base.
• Select the latest build with a green checkmark and download the x86_64 .xz file
• Alternatively, download the build from GitHub (e.g. Fedora 34 x86_64)
• Unpack the .xz file and extract layer.tar (rename it if desired)

Install WSL Distro

• Create a WSL Fedora directory: mkdir $HOME\wsl\fedora
• Install Fedora: wsl --import fedora $HOME\wsl\fedora <path\to\rootfs>
• Start fedora as root: wsl -d fedora
• Create unprivileged user:

$ dnf install -y passwd
$ useradd -G wheel <username>
$ passwd <username>
$ exit

• Make this user the default by editing $HOME\.wslconfig

# $HOME\.wslconfig

[user]
default=<username>

• Login as unprivileged user: wsl -d fedora -u <username>

Install necessary packages

• Fix sticky bits for container work: sudo dnf reinstall shadow-utils
• Allow pings:

$ sudo dnf install procps-ng iputils
$ sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.ping_group_range="0 2000" # Allow UIDs through 2000 to ping

Create System Image

• Clean downloaded packages: sudo dnf clean all
• Exit WSL and export an image: wsl --export fedora <path\to\tarball.tar>

Extract System Image

• Create directory and extract:

> mkdir $HOME\wsl\<name>
> wsl --import <name> $HOME\wsl\<name> <path\to\tarball.tar>